There is currently a battle taking place for hockey’s soul. On one side are the forces of enlightenment represented by the Wings. On the other are the forces of darkness represented by all who would drag the game back to the dead-puck era.

For the NHL to grow and gain a wider audience, it must embrace those qualities represented by the Wings and the only way for that to happen is for Detroit to win the Stanley Cup.

That’s, at least, something to look forward to in the second half of this NHL season. As for the first half, here’s a look back at some of the highlights and lowlights:

That was the worst loss of the season for the Avs tonight, and there could be some hell to pay. I’m not saying Joel Quenneville is in immediate danger of losing his job, but a second straight loss to the Coyotes - and fourth overall, third straight at home - is going to put the heat on.

I don’t care if Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth were out of the lineup tonight. That was an abysmal loss, characterized once again by an Avs team that didn’t come out ready to play, had to play catchup, then let up and ran out of gas after they’d finished tying it up….

Let there be no doubt: a terrible loss, one that could have repurcussions. And I don’t want to hear any injury excuses either.

Wellwood, along with other younger Leafs – except none are very green and scrubeenie anymore – have been treated with excessive gentleness in their prolonged adjustment to the NHL. It’s as if they were dainty creatures – the Stajans and the Steens – overly praised on the nights they acquit themselves decently and usually protected from reproach on the more frequent nights when they don’t.

It’s as if an entitlement has settled upon the more youthful members of this club, itself an extension of franchise arrogance, where one win a fortnight is sufficient to quell anxiety and as you were, boys. This is evidenced in the dressing room, as well, where young pros without the chops to support such haughtiness can be witheringly snide and condescending to reporters. Where they learn such attitudes is a mystery because they certainly aren’t emulating the class of a Mats Sundin or Tomas Kaberle.

Canadians may not know his name, but they know his voice. They have been listening to it for decades accompanying highlights of the Pittsburgh Penguins, describing the action on the ice with non-sequiturs such as “scratch my back with a hacksaw,” and “buy Sam a drink - and get his dog one, too.”

Mike Lange does not always make sense. And it has taken years of practice.

For Brendan Shanahan, one of the architects of change, the view from ice level, two-and-half-years after the lockout, looks pretty good. Not perfect, but considering where the NHL was in the not-too-distant past, not bad at all.

“What I like most is people don’t call it the new NHL anymore, they’re used to it now,” Shanahan was saying Wednesday morning, as his New York Rangers began a swing through Western Canada. “Every once in a while you’ll see an old playoff series on that hockey channel. You just sit and watch that now and it’s ‘oh my god, look at that hook, look at that guy getting mobbed or held.’

Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced Wednesday that the team has acquired defenseman Shane Hnidy and a sixth round draft choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Brandon Bochenski.

The Edmonton Investors Group that currently owns the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers have rejected the latest offer from businessman Daryl Katz to buy the team.

Katz has attempted to purchase the Oilers from the group several times already. The latest bid that was rejected Wednesday was proposed last month when the drugstore billionaire made a $188 million offer for the team.

The offer however is far from dead as several major investors are not on the Board and would still like to sell to Katz. TSN has learned that the board voted 6-4 to recommend rejection, but that some of the bigger shareholders are known to support the offer.

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